Lanzer`s off-range musings

Ruger MKIII 22/45 trigger job and handle grip mod

Always wanted a project gun on the 22lr caliber, so I picked up a used Ruger MKIII 22/45 last month. It’s the model that doesn’t have interchangeable grip, and the built in grip is pretty awful for how much thinner than the standard 1911 it is. Lucky there’s been a lot of info about how many had successfully modded the gun to accept regular grips.

With a CNC mill it’s pretty easy to run along side the grip’s shape to cut off the old grips. The tricky part is to determine where to put the screw holes for the grip panels. I wanted to have the gun be used with the Hogue rubber grip at some point, so I bought that ahead of time ($16) and used the wrap around grip as a template. Worked perfectly.

Trigger Job

Next is taking the hammer and sear to lower the trigger pull weight and reduce the creep.

It helps to take a snapshot of the order in which the hammer bushing, magazine disconnect, disconnect spring, and hammer go together.

First step is to reduce creep. It’s a easier step with the milling machine, I marked off about 1/3 of the cliff and proceed to mill it off.

Marking the sear can help measure and determine how much creep remains. As spare parts are readily available, I was a little aggressive and took away almost half the creep by the time I was finished. Next step was to stone the sear surface itself, for a less aggressive angle which reduces the trigger pull weight. The resulting weight was 2.5lbs.

Last step was to mimic the target trigger. I tapped for M3-6mm set screw for pre-travel adjustment and M3-4mm for post travel. Note that the hook behind the trigger need to be removed when the pre-travel adjustment screws are installed, otherwise the magazine will not release properly.

Range Report

I’m impressed with the 22/45. With CCI Mini-mag I was able to get groups at around 0.75″ at 25 yards. I do notice that I still have a lot to work on with my trigger control. For the strangest reason, I shoot best if the gun is pointed to the right than left? There’s a lot for me to learn when it comes to shooting still.